Sony Highlights New Medical Printers at RSNA 2014

October 20, 2014 — Sony Electronics’ Medical Systems Division is highlighting four new medical printers at RSNA 2014: models UP-D898MD, UP-X898MD, UP-991AD and UP-971AD. Each new model is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Class II, 510(k) cleared. The new printers are designed for increased efficiency and performance in a range of radiology applications, including ultrasound, portable C-Arm and cardiac cath labs.

The UP-D898MD and UP-X898MD B/W ultrasound printers are designed for today’s advanced ultrasound systems with high-speed printing times of approximately 1.9 seconds, high resolution of 325 dpi and a compact, space-saving design. The front panel adds a jog dial for more user-friendly control, and built-in digital capture lets users store images on a connected USB drive. Both use the same media as their predecessor Sony models. The UP-X898MD printer is also a hybrid model, accepting both analog and digital signal inputs.

The Sony UP-991AD and UP-971AD are black-and-white hybrid printers that support both analog and digital signals. Both printers have an analog video input as well as a USB 2.0 high-speed interface for digital printing. This dual compatibility is especially critical as imaging systems make the transition from analog to digital technology. The printers’ compact design with a front-panel LCD display provides for easy operation and easy integration into most cart-based imaging systems. The printers deliver high-speed printing times of approximately 8 seconds.

The UP-991AD printer adds an optional blue transparency film, automatic detection of paper or film and a fully automatic media cutter.

The UP-991AD prints full page for film or paper, while the UP-971AD model prints paper only.

The UP-991AD and UP-X898MD models also offer “print, store and go” capabilities with Sony’s IMAGEPORT interface. This allows users to print images, store them on a USB drive and transfer them to a laptop. The IMAGEPORT interface also uses the blue thermal media to produce high-quality, film-like transparencies.

The Sony UP-D898MD, UP-X898MD, UP-991AD and UP-971AD printers are available now.

A SPECT nuclear scan of the heart to show perfusion defects in the myocardium due to coronary artery blockages or heart attack. The imaging uses the Mo-99 based medical imaging isotope Tc-99m. The U.S. government has created policy to move away from use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU) for Mo-99 isotope production, but there is one holdout who has not yet converted before a 2020 deadline. Photo courtesy of Philips Healthcare.

The top piece of content in July was a video interview explaining how Princess Margaret Cancer Center is using machine learning to create automated treatment plans. This was a hot topic at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) 2019 meeting in July.

Demand for ultrasound scans at U.S. outpatient centers could grow by double digits over the next five years, according to a speaker at AHRA 2019. A variety of factors, however, could cause projections for this and other modalities to change. Graphic courtesy of Pixabay